Torchwood review: Andy investigates life on Neath in Red Base
By James Aggas
In Torchwood: Red Base, Sergeant Andy is sent to investigate several deaths at a Mars base – one just off the A474. But once he’s inside, will he be able to get out?
This month’s regular Torchwood audio sees Sergeant Andy Davidson investigating several mysterious deaths at Starr Base. The base is designed to replicate the conditions of living on Mars as close as possible. A quarry in Wales seemed to be the best place for that.
But something has gone wrong. People have started to die in mysterious “accidents”. After eight long months cut off from civilization, has one of the crew finally cracked? Or is it, in fact, Dave – the base’s very creepy AI?
Sergeant Andy is, along with Mr. Colchester, Norton Folgate, and Yvonne Hartman, one of my favorite Torchwood characters. Usually, he’s paired with another major character, such as Norton or Owen, but this time, he’s on his own. And honestly, it is nice to get an audio story with just Andy for a change, without any help from the rest of the Torchwood team – even if he doesn’t think so. Especially when he himself becomes trapped in a base cut off from the rest of the world with several increasingly paranoid people for company.
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A solo story for Andy
For Red Base, James Goss has written quite the claustrophobic tale. The fact that the base is so close to a motorway actually makes things worse – civilization is so close to all of these characters, but they constantly find themselves unable to reach it. There are some rather nasty moments where Goss highlights how close the characters are to escaping – before delivering the cruel final blow.
As such, this is a story that pushes Andy to the limit. It’s not the darkest Torchwood story he’s been given (that would definitely be Corpse Day followed closely by The Hope). But it’s definitely not one of his lighter stories, either.
Thankfully, that only means that we get to see the best of Andy. We get to find out just how much of a good detective he really is, and how well he can work things out. Andy’s had some rough times in the audios, but this story at least allows him to show off just how good at his job he really is. As such, Red Base is definitely recommended for fans of the character.
Next. Torchwood Soho: Parasite explores the 1950s in a modern way. dark
Are you a fan of Sergeant Andy? Is he one of your favorite characters from Torchwood? Do you think he should have been focused on in the television series as much as in the audios? Let us know in the comments below.
